Apparatus for relieving constipation



Sept. 23, 1941.. A. H. wARsHAw Y 2,256,994

Filed Sept. 2l, 19:59

ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 23, 1941 UNITED APPARATUS FOR glEilvEVlNG CONSTIPA- Arthur H. Warshaw, Kansas City, Mo.

Application September 21, 1939, Serial No. 295,933

1 Gaim.

'This invention relates to apparatus for relieving constipation and particularly the type thereoi' known as rectal stasis, and the primary object is the provision of means in the nature o! a specially constructed toilet seat that will assist the occupant thereof in straightening the ano-rectal angle to such an extent as to facilitate evacuation and enable him to perform. with moderate straining power, the duty of emptying the contents of the descending colon, sigmoid and rectum.

This invention has for a further aim the provision of means for exerting a predetermined amount of pressure upon designated areas of the human body adjacentto the anal orliice whereby,

upon application of rearward force on the part of the seated person, the angularity of the anorectal canal will be appreciably straightened as relaxation of the anal sphincters permit evacuation of material.

A yet further object of this invention is to provide a toilet seat having contact members thereon movable through vertical paths of travel and adjustable toward and i'rom each other so that the occupant of the toilet seat may dispose the contact members in order that appropriate rearward movement imparted to the body will assist in accomplishing a" complete evacuation. Other objects of this invention, including spe- -ciilc details of construction and manner of empart thereof.

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of the same; and,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed sectional view taken along line III-III of Fig. 2.

It has been found by extensive work that the ano-rectal canal is not a straight tube in the adult.` The direction of the anal canal is downward and posteriorly. The angle formed is often nearly 45 with the horizontal and in many cases approaches an angle close to 30.

' According to authorities, two of the principal causes of rectal stasis, which this invention contemplates overcomlng, are: (l) weakness oi the voluntary muscles that assist defecation; and (2), neglect to respond to normal call which leads to distention and atony of the lower bowel. The iirst mentioned p oint is of the greatest im- It is well known that-the anus hassome attachments to the skin and subcutaneous tissues.

and that backward pressure on the' apparatus will cause anterior movement of the former. The amount of backward force yimparted to the anatomy at the immediate area of -the anal orice maybe governed by the occupant of the toilet seat so that the acuteness 'of the ano-rectal angle is instantaneously changed to straighten the canal.

'I'he iirst part of the angle of the ano-rectal canal may be straightened by exterior -manipu-. lation of that portion of the body adjacent thereto, and since it is the object of this invention to have means available to the user for assisting evacuation whenever seated upon the apparatus. embodying the conceptshereof, it has been found desirable to construct a toilet seat bodying the'concepts in operative devices, in the v as shown lin the accompanying drawing.

In this drawing, the numeral 6 designates a normally horizontal seat having a hole 8 therethrough and conventional hinge structure III,

through the medium of which, seat 6 is attached to bowl I2. The space betweenthe upper edge oi' bowl I2 and the lower face of seat 6 is sufficient to receive hereinafter described parts of the apparatus, and the two contact members 40 indicated generally by the numeral Il, are adjustably mounted upon seat 6 so that the free edges exert a predetermined amount of pressure aloxg each side of the anal oriiice of the occupan These contact members comprise a rigid body element Ii having a covering'of resilient material I8, the thickness at the inner, proximal edges of which is increased an appreciable extent so that the maximum contact at that portion of the body may be obtained.

- on pintle Il that is journalled in bearings 22 se- Each contact member Il is pivotally supported member per se is designated by the numeral 2t and the portion thereof Joined to element I6 is provided with a slot 23 that receives bolts 3l| so that members Il may be moved toward and from each other. This adjustment is necessary gear 38 is rigid to shaft M on the extended end of which is mounted a knob 46. Bearings 49 oerably carry shaft 44 so that it may be turned about its axis by the occupant of seat i. The position of knobs 46 is such as to render them easy to manipulate when the occupant is seated and shafts M may be individually or simultaneously rotated as desired for there is a knob on each side of the seat to permit the user to reach both knobs d6 at the same time desired.

When one of the knobs It is turned, drum 36 will travel about its vertical axis to move head 32 up or down as the case may be. Such action will force contact member It from the position shown in full lines of liig.l 3, for example, to the position shown in dotted lines thereof.

The location of contact members Il should be well below the upper surface of seat i so that when the buttocks are positioned in hole 8. the

major portion of the weight of the person will be straining should occur. The usual action causedl by abdominal muscle strain, is a' relaxation of the anal sphincters, and this normal function, coupled with lthe tendency of the ano-rectal angle to straighten, due to backward pressure by the seat occupant, is conducive to easy evacuation.

. The apparatus for relieving constipation which has been shown and described, has sound scienti- Vilc and anatomical basis and case study has indicated the apparatus is useful in overcoming rectal stasis.

Obviously, toilet seats having physical characteristics other than those shown in the drawing may be made to embody the present invention and therefore, it is desired to be limited only by the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A toilet seat of the character described comprising a. horizontal body having an oval hole therethrough: a pivotally mounted contact member disposed on the seat, in the hole thereof w one side of the major axis and near one end thereof to engage the occupant of the seat tn one side of the anus thereof; and means for moving the contact member around its pivotal connection. said pivotal connection being spaced rearwardly of the anur of the occupant whereby upon movement of the contact member about the pivotal connection, upward and rearward pressure is exerted to straighten the ano-rectal canal of the seated occupant. said means for moving the contact member comprising a worm gear rotatably mounted on the seat, a gear in mesh with the worm gear, an operating shaft in connection with the worm gear extending to a point within reach of the seated occupant, a drum provided with a cam slot rigid with the gear, and a head on the contact member projecting into said slot whereby upon rotation of the gear and drum said contact member lwill be moved about the pivotal connection, the said contact member having a resilient covering thereon thicker along the innermost edge thereof than throughout the remaining portion.

- ARTHUR H. WARSHAW. 

